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Hare Krsna!
Please accept my humble obeisances!
All glories to
His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and all Vaisnavas!
DHARMA is a 501(c)(3) organization. Your donations are tax exempt. Our tax ID # is 72-1321936 Send your checks or money orders made out to DHARMA and addressed to
DHARMA
PO BOX 8693
METAIRIE, LOUISIANA 70011
I have prepared this essay in hopes of reaching the minds of both those who are new to Krsna consciousness as well as those who may be more advanced in this lifestyle. This is another effort to explain what this DHARMA organization is all about. Actually, Krsna consciousness should be very easy to understand, but in this Kali Yuga we find that most peoples of the world have little or no knowledge of Krsna consciousness. Out of those who have decided to pursue Krsna consciousness some may be more prepared than others. A basic explanation for this and an understanding is as follows.
The more we are materially attached the more we will perceive devotional observances as troublesome, boring, distasteful, unnecessary, bothersome, etc.
The more we are attached to devotional observances, the more we will perceive material activities as troublesome, boring, distasteful, unnecessary, bothersome, etc.
"What is night for all beings is the time of awakening for the self-controlled; and the time of awakening for all beings is night for the introspective sage."
The Varnasrama system is the natural arrangement for all living entities to make progress in becoming attached to spiritual life while working out all of their material attachments. It is natural to be attached to the pursuit of Kama (sense gratification) and Artha (economic development), but having higher intelligence we also pursue Dharma (Religious principles that develop ideals & virtues), and Moksa (Complete liberation from miseries of the material world as well as the cycle of birth and death, the wheel of Samsara).
"Brähmanas, ksatriyas, vaiçyas and çüdras are distinguished by the qualities born of their own natures in accordance with the material modes, O chastiser of the enemy.
"Peacefulness, self-control, austerity, purity, tolerance, honesty, knowledge, wisdom and religiousness—these are the natural qualities by which the brähmanas work.
"Heroism, power, determination, resourcefulness, courage in battle, generosity and leadership are the natural qualities of work for the ksatriyas.
"Farming, cow protection and business are the natural work for the vaiçyas, and for the çüdras there is labor and service to others."
Bhagavad Gita 18.41-44
Specifically the vaisyas and the ksatriyas follow the example of the Mahajanas and the Rajarsis, (or in other words the king and queen) in respecting the earth as mother and all beings of the earth to be just like their children. Consequently, vaisyas and ksatriyas who are householders, develop and maintain all types of community improvement and develop services according to their means.
Srimad Bhagavatam Lecture 761119sb
"Srila Prabhupada"
" So varieties of life and varieties of position, you cannot change them. That is not possible. So the theory is humanitarianism, daridra-narayana-seva... Seva. It is not seva. A poor man, you can have mercy, daya. That is allowed. Just like we distribute prasadam. That is balisesu Isvare tad-adhinesu balisesu dvisatsu ca, prema-maitri-krpa upeksa. Krpa. Those who are suffering--innocent, they do not know how to get release from the suffering--they are called balisa. Just like a child. A child is suffering, he does not know how to get relief; so one should take care. They should be given shelter, they should be given cloth, food. It is the duty of the parents. That is natural. So for the balisa, innocent, it is our duty to show them mercy, give them food, give them shelter, give them instruction of Krsna consciousness so that he may understand why he is here in this material world, why he is suffering. Ke ami kene amaya jape tapa traya. Everyone is suffering threefold miserable condition of life,
adhyatmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika."
"According to scriptures also, there are seven mothers: (1) the real mother, (2) the wife of the spiritual master, (3) the wife of a brähmana, (4) the wife of the king, (5) the cow, (6) the nurse, and (7) the earth. All of them are mothers. Even by this injunction of the çästras, the stepmother, who is the wife of the father, is also as good as the mother because the father is also one of the spiritual masters. Lord Krsñå, the Lord of the universe, plays the part of an ideal son just to teach others how to treat their stepmothers."
SB 1.11.28, Purport
In countries such as the USA there is something called separation of church and state. In a similar way this DHARMA organization has three features known as Dharma, Vedic and Bhakti. The reason for this separation will become clear. The essence of each feature of this DHARMA organization is briefly described by the following explanations.
DHARMA
Dharma is the work of the Grhasthas.
The Grhasthas are primarily composed of the sudras, vaisyas, and ksatriyas. It is the Grhastha's duty to care for all beings just like Lord Visnu and Laksmi Devi, the Mahajanas such as Prahlad Maharaja and the great Rajarsis such as Maharaja Pariksit. It is mentioned in the Sastra that the Grhastha should call into the street for anyone needing to eat before the Grhasthas themselves eat.
"A grhastha should be very much affectionate toward lower animals, birds and bees, treating them exactly like his own children."
"In other words, a devotee should not ignore any living entity. The devotee must know that in every living entity, however insignificant he may be, even in an ant, God is present, and therefore every living entity should be kindly treated and should not be subjected to any violence."
Srimad Bhagavatam 3.29.22
"Such brähmanas, ksatriyas and vaiçyas, purified by their family traditions and by their behavior, should worship the Lord, study the Vedas and give charity."
SB 7.11.13, Translation
"In the revealed scriptures there are two nomenclatures for the householder's life. One is grhåstha, and the other is grhåmedhé. The grhåsthas are those who live together with wife and children but live transcendentally for realizing the ultimate truth. The grhåmedhés, however, are those who live only for the benefit of the family members, extended or centralized, and thus are envious of others. The word medhé indicates jealousy of others. The grhåmedhés, being interested in family affairs only, are certainly envious of others. Therefore, one grhåmedhé is not on good terms with another grhåmedhé, and in the extended form, one community, society or nation is not on good terms with another counterpart of selfish interest. In the age of Kali, all the householders are jealous of one another because they are blind to the knowledge of ultimate truth. They have many subject matters for hearing—political, scientific, social, economic and so on—but due to a poor fund of knowledge, they set aside the question of the ultimate miseries of life, namely miseries of birth, death, old age and disease. Factually, the human life is meant for making an ultimate solution to birth, death, old age and disease, but the grhåmedhés, being illusioned by the material nature, forget everything about self-realization. The ultimate solution to the problems of life is to go back home, back to Godhead, and thus, as stated in the Bhagavad-gétä (8.16), the miseries of material existence—birth, death, old age and disease—are removed."
B.Gita 2.1.2, Purport
In this way I am thinking the Grhasthas in different Varnas engage in a variety of community development projects to improve the quality of life. This would mean relief in the form of food, shelter, clothing, transportation, health care, education, and legal assistance to those in sincere need. To improve the quality of life world-over, the Grhastha also takes concern for the treatment of the planet as a whole along with all elements of nature and living beings. This automatically means ecological concerns such as alternative energy and developing a harmonious relationship with nature through revival of small cruelty-free organic family farms.
VEDIC
Vedic is the work of the Brahmanas.
The Grhastha Brahmanas, by trade, can engage themselves in the many varieties of developments in Vedic knowledge. There are four Vedas. Ayurveda (The Science of Health) and Jyotirveda (The Science of Astrology) are subsidiary sections of knowledge within the Vedas. The concern is to manage all Vedic knowledge in accordance with all principle teachings of the Bhakti Yoga Sastras.
"Yajnärtha-karma, or the necessity of work for the satisfaction of Krsñå only, is more expressly stated in this verse. If we have to work for the satisfaction of the yajna-purusa, Visñu, then we must find out the direction of work in Brahman, or the transcendental Vedas. The Vedas are therefore codes of working directions. Anything performed without the direction of the Vedas is called vikarma, or unauthorized or sinful work. Therefore, one should always take direction from the Vedas to be saved from the reaction of work. As one has to work in ordinary life by the direction of the state, one similarly has to work under direction of the supreme state of the Lord. Such directions in the Vedas are directly manifested from the breathing of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is said, 'The four Vedas—namely the Rg Veda, Yajur Veda, Säma Veda, and Atharva Veda—are all emanations from the breathing of the great Personality of Godhead.'"
(Brhad-äranyaka Upanisad 4.5.11)
BHAKTI
Bhakti is the work of the Renunciates.
All four Varnas take instruction and guidance from the Sannyasa order. The Vaisñava Sannyasi is fully engaged in purely Krsna Katha and the teachings of Bhakti Yoga. Those souls who live and work in Hare Krsna temples following the full program of rising before the sun, chanting sixteen rounds of the Hare Krsna Maha Mantra, studying the authorized Sastras, eating only Krsna Prasad and following the four basic regulative principles; are actually living just like Sannyasis at least while they can maintain this standard. This is true no matter their varna or asrama. All four Varnas take instruction and guidance from the Sannyasa order. The Vaisñava Sannyasi is fully engaged in purely Krsna Katha and the teachings of Bhakti Yoga.
"Better than the brähmana who knows the purpose of the Vedas is he who can dissipate all doubts, and better than him is one who strictly follows the brahminical principles. Better than him is one who is liberated from all material contamination, and better than him is a pure devotee, who executes devotional service without expectation of reward."
SB 3.29.32, Translation
Your servant in Krsna consciousness,
Citraketu dasa
Sept. 10, 2000
Revised 11/24/2000